Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Here is an excerpt from the book: Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have long wrestled with the questions, "Where did the events of the Book of Mormon take place?" and "Who are the descendants of those people?" Such strivings are only natural as the Book of Mormon is central to our beliefs and anything that supports its truthfulness and links it to the physical world we see today is reassuring and confirming. For much of my life the prevailing focus has been on Central and South America. Some years ago, missionaries carried copies of Ancient America Speaks, a Church produced film that linked the Book of Mormon with the ancient inhabitants of that region. At the same time Books of Mormon included artwork by Arnold Friberg showing Mayan buildings in the background. The same artwork was used on Church produced manual covers and adorned chapel walls. Later, videos and films continued the Central American theme. During this period the Church always maintained that